


Complicity and Complication

by Merfilly



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-21
Updated: 2017-03-21
Packaged: 2018-10-08 20:59:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10395960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly
Summary: Rex and Ahsoka have a conversation that hurts them both... but then, when you both have no choice in your life, what else can happen?





	

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [A World Not Too Far Away](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6578179) by [Merfilly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merfilly/pseuds/Merfilly). 



> Alright, recap: this is a vaguely Earth-like world with some people having mental gifts (The Order) and an Imperialistic power called the Republic. So far the two fics in this universe are hinting around the edges at the world-building, and I'm sorry if that's too sketchy for tastes.

Captain Rex of the 501st was well aware that his General was leading a double life. He even, mostly, approved of Skywalker clinging to both his place in the Order and the family he had outside of it. He didn't much care for the stress and fatigue it placed on the man, but who was he to critique the way of life between an official of the Republic that had basically enslaved his whole people, and the gifted people who had accepted the charge of leading the new slave army?

Rex growled in his head; the Republic refused to acknowledge they had made his people slaves. By limiting resources to their country, then offering service as a way to escape the growing trials back home, and doing nothing when the invaders razed their lands… the Republic had made them too indebted to be anything but slaves. Countless clans had been destroyed, their culture all but lost as they were shoved into a military one instead, and there was no home to go back to.

It would be decades before the islands were livable again.

Today, however, was not for thinking on the plight of his people. Today he was to help Skywalker escape his duties and go for the official naming ceremony to the small lives Skywalker and Amidala had created. A part of his heart struggled with the idea of celebrating new life when he had put so many cousins and friends to the pyres… yet, Amidala was truly a friend, fighting for the Veterans with all her might up to the day she had given birth, and going back to it a scant three days later.

"Hey, Rexter."

The voice came from behind him, and he had to admit he had only barely been aware of the Cadet Commander. He gave her a look as she came to his side, noting that she'd worked the blue ribbons through her braids again, and even up into the puffs she was wearing on top of her head. She was a little more like him Skywalker, coming from a nation that had been preyed upon by the Imperialistic powers that had eventually become the Republic. Her gifts, however, had allowed her to excel in the Order, much to the envy of some, he had noted.

"Hello, Commander."

"Ahsoka. Try using it. We're not on duty right now."

Rex gave a snort. "There is no off-duty for those who are not discharged yet," he said, his bitterness boiling up again… and he instantly regretted it as she pulled inward, a shift in her stance and face warning him that she was protecting herself from his emotional levels. "Commander, I'm—"

"No, I deserved that. We all do." She drew herself fully up, shutting her heart away, blanking her face. She didn't want to make his life any harder than it was, Captain (and honestly, he should have been a commander, but Anakin hadn't released her either) of one of the last standing units.

"I'm told your people don't get much better treatment by the Republic."

"We're ignored, unless useful, and still have our homeland." She kept the words neutral. She didn't want to think about the fact that they had been more than willing to throw her aside on flimsy evidence, or that it had proven to be a betrayal from a woman she considered both friend and more.

They shared the next lift up to the command center together but in silence. When they emerged, Anakin took one look at the pair and frowned. Ahsoka, however, moved forward and tapped the display.

"Brief me, Skyguy, because you have an appointment to keep, remember?"

"App… oh, right." He launched into the briefing, for both of them, his demeanor lightening and his worry over the pair seemingly vanishing. When he was done, Rex gave him a salute, quickly returned, and then Anakin officially turned command over to the pair. Ahsoka didn't say anything to Rex as she studied the display, taking note of the reported hot spots, the rumored guerrilla presence in contested zones, and plotted out the best way to send reaction forces if it boiled up while she held command.

Rex had to admit that she really did handle command better than he would have anticipated out of a kid. Granted, that didn't apply so much, after four years under arms. She nearly had him in height now, and was doing her best to catch up to the General.

"Stop staring, please," she said, not even looking at him, reading over their aerial force readiness report.

"I am sorry, Commander, for earlier. You do not deserve my bitterness, when you have done everything you can to make life better for the men." 

"I am part of the problem. I own that. Until every single one of you is given due compensation and released, I am nothing more than the face of your captors," she said in a harsher voice than he liked to hear from her. 

He really wanted to kick himself. He knew she had been struggling with her continued service after being so betrayed. She had always been so sweet, so quick to cheer up the men, to sit with them when they were dying, all the things that made life a little more bearable. That she seemed a million miles away again left him too aware of all the good she had given, even when she had almost died for them.

"I don't see you as anything connected to the problem, Ahsoka," he said, using her name despite that they were on duty now. It made her look at him at least, and he almost flinched at the way her eyes were so dull. "You're as trapped as we are."

"I could have left. They had to reinstate me, after all. I could have refused to sign."

Rex shook his head. "And done what? You grew up in the Order. You gave your loyalty to Skywalker. To us. Regardless of the Order and the Fleet both having screwed you over, you chose to come back to us… and we needed you. Take my apology or not, but stop saying shit about yourself that's not really true."

Ahsoka eyed him for a very long moment, then gave a half shrug. "I'll take it under advisement, Rex."

At least she had used his name, he decided, moving to handle some of the backlog of reports that needed to be signed.


End file.
